Husted, CO Train Wreck, Aug 1909

Colorado Springs - Nine persons are dead and others are expected to die between forty and fifty were injured, three engines are in the ditch, two baggage cars, including the contents were smashed and several passenger coaches are badly damaged as the result of a head on collision between eastbound passenger train No 8 and westbound passenger No 1 on the Denver & Rio Grande, near Husted, thirteen miles north of this city, at 10 25 a m Saturday. The wreck was due to a misunderstanding of orders.

Carbon County Utah 1909-08-20

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NINE DEAD IN WRECK

RIO GRANDE TRAINS IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION.

NEARLY FIFTY ARE INJURED

NUMBER SO BADLY HURT THEY MAY NOT SURVIVE.

J. W. LEAFGREN of Axtell, Neb., Among the Victims-Misunderstand of Orders Cause of Accident.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Aug 14-Nine persons are dead, and others are expected to die; between forty and fifty are injured; three engines are in the ditch; two baggage cars, including the contents, are smashed to kindling wood, and several passenger coaches are badly damaged as the result of a head-on collision between east bound passenger train No. 8, and westbound passenger No. 1, on the Denver & Rio Grande, near Husted, thirteen miles north of this city, at 10:25 a. m. today. The wreck was due to a misunderstanding of orders, it is said.

Misunderstood the Signal.

As No. 8 drew into Husted about forty miles an hours, the crew of the engine saw a light engine standing on the switch north of the station.

Mistaking the engine for the second section of No. 1, the crew did not stop, and went through the station as fast as the two engines could draw the thirteen heavily laden coaches. As soon as the train got out of the station, the engineer of the first engine of No. 8 saw another train coming slowly down the incline. He slammed on the air brakes, and the emergency brakes, and then shouted to the other members of the two crews to jump. Before they had time to jump, No. 3 had rammed No. 1 so hard that all three engines lay in the ditch.

Fireman J. A. GOSSAGE, of train No. 8, was killed as he was firing his engine, and never knew what struck him. The members of the other crew escaped serious injury by jumping.

The smoker, attached to train No. 8, was the car in which the people were killed. All those badly injured were in the same car.

Collision Near the Switch.

The wreck occurred just east of the east switch at Husted. The impact of the trains was terrific and the locomotives and the baggage and smoking cars of both trains were badly damaged.

The shrieks of the wounded were pitiful and those who were not injured among the passengers immediately started the work of rescue. It was impossible to accurately determine the number of dead, but first reports indicated that eight had been killed.

Some of the injured are severely hurt, and it is likely that some of them may die.